War on Gaza: Pro-Palestine marches held in European cities on Land Day
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators have taken to the streets in several European cities on Saturday, including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, as well as elsewhere.
Marches called for allowing aid into the besieged Gaza Strip and demanded a ceasefire, as they also commemorated the 48th anniversary of Land Day.
Major protests in Israel's Galilee region in 1976, during which Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, marked the first time that Palestinian citizens of Israel organised collectively against Israeli land expropriation policies.
On Saturday afternoon, under the banner of "stop the war on Gaza", thousands of Palestinians marched through the Palestinian town of Deir Hanna, one of the towns in Israel where the most violent crackdown on protesters took place on 30 March 1976.
The London march started in Russell Square around midday and is planned to end at Trafalgar Square.
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Former labour leader Jeremy Corbyn took part in the march, with several users posting videos of his participation on X, formerly Twitter.
The Crown actor Khalid Abdalla and comedian Alexei Sayle gave speeches during the march.
London’s Metropolitan Police set an extensive security plan for the march, which is taking place during the Easter holiday weekend.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine was quoted in British media as saying that "swift and decisive action" would be taken against any criminal activity at the march.
Similar protests in different cities in Europe were organised to express solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Beyond Europe, protests were planned in Beirut, Rabat and Istanbul, in major US cities, including New York, and also in Pakistan.
In Paris, the march started in the Place de la Republique and ended in the Place de la Bastille. Protesters raised Palestinian flags and banners calling on Israel to stop its massacres in Gaza, as they chanted pro-Palestine slogans.
In Amsterdam, demonstrators urged their government to push for holding Israel accountable for its crimes in Gaza. Additional marches were planned in other Dutch cities, including Rotterdam.
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